Chapter 6: Mangosteen

Rong She stood where he was, watching her bustling figure.

Ke Miantang had already moved on to the ready-to-wear section on the other side. Her fingers skimmed across rows of hangers, occasionally pulling out a piece to hold against herself before glancing back at Rong She.

"Does this look good?"

Rong She smiled and nodded. "It looks good."

The corners of Ke Miantang's lips curved up slightly. Even the way she turned back was bubbling with delight as she called the sales assistant over to take the clothes down.

Rong She watched her, his gaze crossing the whole width of the store to settle on her profile as she bent to examine a hem.

His thoughts drifted slowly away.

His original reason for making Ke Miantang his girlfriend was simple: to kill his father's idea of introducing him to other heiresses.

Back then, Rong Liao's secretary delivered a list of suitable marriage candidates every week, printed with photos and résumés of daughters from prominent families.

He needed a shield, and Ke Miantang fit the bill perfectly.

Beautiful, obedient, presentable, and unlikely to cause him trouble.

At the time, he had no interest in her. To him, she was no different from any other woman—the only distinction being that she was a little prettier than the rest.

But that was all.

A month ago, something started feeling off.

The face was the same, but her personality had changed, her habits had changed, the way she spoke had changed.

Rong She sensed it right away—she was Ke Miantang, but not the Ke Miantang he knew.

Like the liquid in a bottle had been swapped out. Same bottle, but the color poured out was different, the way it clung to the glass was different.

The first thing he noticed was the scent.

The old Ke Miantang wore a certain brand of rose perfume, so thick it stung the nose. Every time she came down the corridor toward him, he'd smell her before he saw her.

Then one day, that scent vanished, replaced by a faint milky sweetness.

The first time he caught it, Rong She assumed she'd switched perfumes. Only later did he realize it wasn't perfume at all—it was more like her natural body scent.

After confirming it again and again, he knew it truly came from inside her.

He didn't mind it. In fact, he always wanted to lean in closer and breathe it in.

Most important were her eyes.

When the old Ke Miantang looked at him, there was fear mixed with calculation—afraid of being discarded at any moment, desperate to hold on to something, yet not daring to get too close.

When this Ke Miantang looked at him, there was nothing in her eyes at all.

She'd glare at him, pinch him, call him shameless.

The first time he kissed her, she cried her eyes out, tears soaking through his shirt. She cursed him out fiercely, called him a barbarian, said that was her first kiss.

What he didn't say was that it was his first kiss too.

The next day he went to apologize. Mid-apology, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, and only after buying her gifts did he manage to smooth things over.

He didn't know why he simply couldn't help himself.

Seeing her cry made him want to kiss her.

Seeing her smile made him want to kiss her.

Seeing her pout in silent sulking still made him want to kiss her.

Rong She felt like a system invaded by some virus, every normal operating protocol thrown into chaos.

He didn't know who she was.

But he was certain she wasn't the original Ke Miantang.

When the old Ke Miantang looked at him, her eyes held only the identity of "Rong She."

When she looked at him, her eyes held only him.

From the day she arrived, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her.

She was in his dreams, she was there when he woke, she filled his head during meetings, she lingered in his thoughts while he signed contracts.

He thought about her voice, her scent, the warmth of her skin against his. He wanted to hold her in his arms, wanted to lock her away somewhere only he could see her.

Wanted it so badly it was driving him insane.

Whoever she was.

She was his now, and in the future she could only be his.

By the time Ke Miantang walked out of the mall, she was in such a good mood she felt like singing.

Rong She walked beside her, showing no intention of carrying her bags.

Not that she expected him to. This man had never even opened a car door for her, let alone handled shopping bags.

When they reached the car, the driver pulled the door open ahead of time.

Rong She waited for her to get in, then circled around to the other side.

Ke Miantang set the shopping bags by her feet, turned sideways, and poked one finger against Rong She's chest.

"Rong She." That finger was pale and soft, pressing through the fabric right over his heart.

"Hm?"

"You did well today." Her tone carried an unconscious coyness.

Rong She found it amusing. He turned to face her, his arm settling along the seatback behind her, so that he seemed to half-enclose her in his embrace.

Light glimmered in his eyes, his tone leisurely. "How are you going to repay me?"

Alarm bells blared in Ke Miantang's head. She was just about to ask what he meant when she saw his gaze drift slowly down from her face.

It landed first on her half-exposed collarbone, then kept going, stopping at the curve her chest made against the soft fabric.

His eyes concealed nothing, plainly spelling out "I want this."

Ke Miantang's face went red in an instant. Everywhere his gaze had swept now felt scorched, as if red marks had been seared into her skin.

But she had never been the type to take a hit lying down. She lifted her chin to look at him and let out a sweet, petulant hum. "I make you happy, and now you want me to repay you? Rong She, aren't you going too far?"

With that, she shoved at his chest, and not gently.

Rong She rocked back from the push, then laughed and caught her retreating hand.

His thumb rubbed the thin skin on the back of her hand. The callus on his fingertip grazed across it, sending a fine, tingling numbness through her.

"Mm. I'm going too far." His voice dropped low. He wrapped her whole hand in his palm, stroking each finger in turn, as if toying with some precious little thing.

Then he drew her hand to his lips, his mouth brushing each fingertip without quite touching, and finally lingered at the base of her ring finger. He lifted his eyes to her.

His gaze was deep and certain, dark currents churning beneath.

"So then. How are you going to punish me?"

Ke Miantang's breath caught. Her brain had completely shut down.

Cold air blew inside the car, yet she felt heat radiating through her whole body, burning from her fingertips all the way to the roots of her ears.

She wanted to say something to regain the upper hand. Her lips parted, but not a single word came out.

Rong She was a male succubus-level threat—it was outright cheating!

She yanked her hand back and said, puffing with indignation, "School starts tomorrow. I have to live in the dorms."

Rong She leaned back against the seat. "You can move in with me."

Ke Miantang shook her head rapidly, without a moment's thought.

She knew her place well enough. Once the true, kind, and beautiful female lead showed up, she'd still have to step aside and yield her position.

For now, she figured it was best to stay honest and keep a low profile—no getting in too deep at a time like this.

She refused. "No."

A flicker of coldness crossed Rong She's eyes, quickly suppressed. What surfaced again was that gentle, smiling expression.

He wasn't in a hurry. Sooner or later, he'd bring this little rabbit back to his own burrow.

The System popped up in her mind, sounding pleased. [Host, you're very clear-headed. Well done.]

Ke Miantang snorted, a touch smug. "Of course."